The Thorn's Rose
by ZukoKrazy
Summary: He always liked her. Sakura was just to obsessed with Sasuke to notice him. To notice Kotetsu. Sakura x Kotetsu oneshot


**Title: **_The Thorn's Rose._

**Author:**_ ZukoKrazy_

**Rating: **_T_

**Summary:**_ He always liked her. Sakura was just to obsessed with Sasuke to notice him. To notice Kotetsu. Sakura x Kotetsu_

**A/N: **_Ok, in the manga during the Chuunin Exams, Sakura is 12 while Kotetsu is 24. Now, that would be kind of creepy, wouldn't it? So Sakura is going to be 17, while Kotetsu is 24._

_Ok, let me explain a bit. Sakura is now a Chuunin and a medic-nin. Kotetsu is still a Chuunin and Izumo are the same. This is an oneshot. Let's go. _

----

Sakura was wandering around Konoha one day, on a break. She decided to stop by the ramen shop that Naruto always ate at.

She pushed aside the sheets and heard the owner's voice.

"Welcome! What can I get you?"

"Diet ramen, please," she replied quietly.

"Coming right up."

Sakura sat herself down and waited. A few minutes later, she heard the flap being tossed up twice and heard the welcome once more.

"Well, if it isn't the little cherry blossom!" Sakura heard someone exclaim behind her.

Izumo's head appeared over to left shoulder and Kotetsu's over her right, both grinning broadly.

Sakura chuckled and said, "Hi, Izumo. Kotetsu."

"These seats taken?" Izumo asked, pointing to the seats on either side of the girl.

"No," came the reply.

"Great." Kotetsu said, sitting down on her right, Izumo on her left.

"Two orders of pork ramen!" Izumo called out to Ayame, who blushed and nodded.

"Here is your ramen, miss," the owner said to Sakura, placing the plate in front of her.

"Thank you," Sakura said, picking up some chopsticks.

She waited until the boys got their meal and only then did she start to eat.

"So," Kotetsu said to her right, mouth full of ramen. Sakura smiled weakly as she was reminded of Naruto. "Have any interesting patients lately?"

Sakura sighed. "I had a genin come in with a kunai wound to the leg, but that's about it. There haven't been many battles fought since Orochimaru was killed."

Izumo nodded, but Kotetsu just stared at Sakura. Izumo said something that made Sakura laugh, and Kotetsu woke up from his trance.

"How is Sasuke?" Izumo asked quietly.

Sakura's smile slipped from her face. "Well, it appears that Orochimaru did some rather unpleasant things to him. He's doing very well, but he still won't talk to me. It's like he feels guilty or something."

After that, the ramen that she had been eating sat out, untouched and turning cold.

Soon, the two boys finished their ramen and offered to walk her back to the hospital.

"Sure," she accepted, smiling.

As they started the long walk back, Izumo noticed Kotetsu looking at anything but the beautiful girl between them. He arched his eyebrow. _Someone's got a crush! _He thought.

"Oh jeez I just remembered!" Izumo said suddenly. The other two looked up at him, surprised.

"I promised…uh...I promised Iruka that'd I'd help him watch his class! I have to go! It was nice seeing you, cherry blossom. Bye Kotetsu!" and with that said he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Kotetsu sighed. Must his closest friend always forget these things?

Sakura just chuckled and continued walking. Kotetsu, walking at the same leisurely pace remained silent.

"So I heard that you and Izumo were Tsunade-sensei's personal assistants," Sakura grinned, turning to Kotetsu.

"Yeah. Sometimes it gets a little tiresome getting all of the furniture she throws out of those windows," Kotetsu replied with a smile on his face.

Sakura laughed and Kotetsu grinned broadly. On their walk to the hospital, he said many jokes that got Sakura laughing so hard that she couldn't stop.

All the while, Izumo watched from the trees, hiding his presence. He smiled at his friend and jumped away, wishing Kotetsu luck.

At the entrance of the hospital, the two turned to face each other.

"Hey, thank you very much for treating me to a walk with the funniest man I've ever met," Sakura smiled.

Somewhere with Jiraiya, Naruto just suddenly broke down crying. "But I'm funnier!" he wailed. Jiraiya used this distraction to escape to go spy.

Kotetsu grinned.

"Well, the funniest man ever was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner tonight," he braved.

Sakura's smile faded and she hesitated. This would be her first date. The date she was saving for Sasuke. Then she remembered what he had said to her so many years ago.

"_You're annoying." _

Sakura looked up at the face of the hopeful man and she nodded. "That would be nice," she said.

"Great. I'll pick you up at around 7, ok? Dress nice!" he said with so much enthusiasm that Sakura smiled once more.

Kotetsu grinned and turned around and started walking away. He looked over his shoulder and waved to the pinkette on the street. She smiled and walked into the hospital.

Izumo. He had to find him!

Kotetsu raced down the street looking for his friend. "Izumo!" he called out.

"Yes," a voice said right next to him.

"I have a date tonight! With Sakura!" he exclaimed.

Izumo grinned. "Great! Where are you going?"

"To the Winter Garden!" he cried happily.

Izumo whistled. "Now that's a fancy place! How are you going to pay for it?"

Kotetsu fell down anime style. "Damn," he said, getting up. "Izumo?" he asked hopefully.

Izumo sighed and pulled out his wallet. He gave Kotetsu a certain amount and Kotetsu hugged his close friend.

"Thank you!" he cried, racing off.

----

"Ino!" Sakura shouted, running into the flower shop. It was 6:30 already!

"What is it?" Ino looked up, worried about her best friend.

"Can I borrow your dress? That black one?" she asked hopefully.

Ino nodded without hesitation. "Come on, let's go get it."

They raced up the steps that led to the house that Ino and her parents lived in. They ran into Ino's room and Ino pulled out her dress.

"Go get dressed in the bathroom. I'll do your hair after," Ino commanded.

Sakura shot a grateful look Ino's way and she raced into the bathroom, closing the door.

She came out 10 minutes later, her hair hanging down around her face and Ino's black dress and shoes on. Ino pulled her over to the bed and did her hair and makeup.

Sakura looked at herself in the mirror. "Thank you so much Ino!"

Said girl just smiled and said, "Let's get to your house before he does!"

They both formed hand seals and disappeared.

When they had arrived at Sakura's house, Ino asked, "Who is 'he' anyways?"

"Hagane Kotetsu," Sakura replied.

Ino whistled and Sakura blushed.

The doorbell rang.

"Go!" Ino commanded. "And have a blast!" She disappeared, leaving Sakura alone.

Sakura took a deep breath and walked over to the door, opening it.

"Hi! Whoa," Kotetsu said, looking at the dress she wore.

It was black with sparkles all over it. It reached a little past Sakura's knees with slits reaching a little below her thighs. It also had a low-cut neckline which Sakura took advantage of by placing a pink necklace on her neck. The spaghetti straps went over her shoulder and crossed each other in the back. Though Kotetsu did not know it, there were a couple kunai strapped to various parts of Sakura's leg.

Sakura had her hair up in a bun with two long strands hanging down in her face.

Kotetsu, on the other hand, had on a simple black tux. He also had a couple of hidden weapons.

The pink lipstick she had on brought out her emerald eyes. She smiled and took the roses he offered her. She smiled and put them in her house. Then she accepted the arm he offered her and together they walked towards their destination.

----

Sakura inhaled. Roses. Lots of roses.

Kotetsu chuckled.

Sakura had a questioning look on her face.

"Oh. Well, its just once when I was little Izumo dared me to walk in here and take the deepest breath I could. So I did. The fume was too much for me and I fainted. When I woke up in the hospital, Izumo was laughing so hard he was taken to a quiet room for three hours before he finally calmed down. After that, whenever we pass by this place, Izumo always laughs really hard," Kotetsu said in one breath.

Sakura chuckled and Kotetsu grinned broadly.

"I'll do it again," he offered, grinning devilishly.

Sakura arched both her eyebrows.

Kotetsu took this sign as a challenge and exhaled as much as he could. And then he inhaled so deeply, Sakura gasped.

"Kotetsu, don't!" she cried.

Too late.

He collapsed on the floor, bringing the attention of many people in the restaurant. Somewhere a woman shrieked and that brought Sakura out of her trance. She took a kunai and sliced open the necktie and collar of the tux.

Then she gathered chakra in her hand and tried to heal him, but found that there was nothing to heal. He had fainted by oxygen deprivation. There was only one answer.

----

Ino squealed with delight. Sasuke had said yes to a date with her! She didn't know why, but she was pretty damn happy. And apparently Naruto was bringing Hinata to the same place as them on a double date.

She picked out a light blue dress and put it on quickly, for she did not want to be late.

When the four finally met up a half hour later, they were outside the Winter Garden. They walked through the entrance just as it happened.

----

Sakura held Kotetsu's nose and inhaled deeply. Then she did what was later called an act of heroism. She placed her lips over Kotetsu's mouth and breathed into his mouth. She did it over and over again until he could finally breath on his own.

Sakura heard someone gasp. She looked up and saw, in the doorway, Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata, and Ino. All had shocked looks on their faces, even Sasuke.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shrieked.

She looked straight at him and said, "He would have died. I had to."

Then she stood up and put her kunai back in her holder on her leg. She reached down and picked up her date, slinging his arm over her shoulder.

"Excuse me," she said, pushing past her friends.

Then she left atop the rooftops and headed towards the hospital.

"What…just happened here?" Ino asked.

"Table for four?" a waiter asked.

Sasuke nodded.

"Right this way, please," the waiter said, walking away. Sasuke shrugged and followed. Ino just kind of nodded and she pulled Naruto and Hinata after the waiter.

----

Kotetsu woke up in a white room. Not just an off-white room with other splashes of color, it was starch white. The only color was himself and the splash of pink hair right net to him. She was asleep in the chair next to him, holding his hand.

His face softened and he squeezed her hand. She stirred but didn't wake up.

He sat up in bed, letting Sakura's hand drop to the floor. She just slept, obviously worn out.

"KOTETSU!" screamed a voice from outside the room.

"You're not allowed in ther-!" the protest was cut off as Izumo slammed open the door. Sakura woke up with a shriek while Izumo practically ran over to the bed that held his best friend.

"What happened!" Izumo asked, alarmed.

"I did that dare at the Winter Garden again," he grinned. Izumo walked over to the bed and promptly whacked him on the head.

----

The next night, Kotetsu was released from the hospital with warnings of "don't do that again" and such.

They would have released him earlier, but Naruto had brought in a bunch of roses while he slept and then he did it again just for kicks and giggles.

Kotetsu had offered to walk Sakura home, which she accepted.

"I'm sorry about the tux," she grinned sheepishly.

Kotetsu just laughed.

They finally arrived at Sakura's house, and said girl turned to her date.

"Even if I was sitting in a hospital room for two days, I had a nice time," he sated, smiling.

Then got her keys out and unlocked the door to her home.

She smiled once more and started into the house. Suddenly, Kotetsu grabbed her arm. Surprised, she turned to him.

He smiled and kissed her.

After a few minutes, the two broke apart, smiling.

Sakura stepped into the house once more, and then she changed her mind and kissed Kotetsu again.

She smiled once more and disappeared into the house.

Kotetsu grinned like mad and walked away, shaking his head. Izumo would never believe this.

Sakura sighed and leaned against the wall inside her house.

And for once, her mind wasn't on Sasuke.

----

**A/N: **_There we go. That's the end. Sorry if Izumo and Kotetsu are OOC. They don't appear too often so I don't really know much about them. Yeah, I love this pairing and decided to write a little oneshot. Hope you enjoyed it, please review!_

_-ZK_


End file.
